FACT SHEET

OCTOBER 2019

Fighting Florida’s Climate Chaos:

Next Steps in Saving Our State
Florida is expected to bear the largest U.S. bur-
den of climate chaos. Faced with flooding, com-
promised drinking water and heat waves, Florida
needs bold action to protect the public from such
threats. Fortunately, there are real solutions.
Transitioning off fossil fuels and increasing ener-
gy efficiency are critical to protecting communi-
ties from the worst climate change impacts.
Gas plants increase climate-destroying emissions both from
Climate Change in Florida the facilities and from widespread methane leaks from con-
Climate change is already impacting Florida.1 Over three- necting infrastructure, meaning that natural gas cannot be
quarters of the population and nearly 80 percent of the considered a low-carbon fuel.16 Beyond the leaks, infrastruc-
state’s economy are in coastal counties.2 More Category ture is at risk of damage from flooding and storms, raising
4 and 5 hurricanes are expected, and rising sea levels concerns about additional environmental impacts.17
increase flooding, storm surges and erosion.3 Saltwater in-
trusion and compromised septic systems threaten drinking Clean, Renewable Energy
water.4 In Miami-Dade County, 56 percent of septic systems Despite its moniker, the Sunshine State generates just
may already be impacted by elevated groundwater levels 1 percent of its electricity from solar, which encompasses
during wet periods, posing health and environmental risks.5 nearly all of Florida’s clean, renewable energy.18 Compara-
Miami and Tampa-St. Petersburg are among the most vulner- tively, the United States sourced 9 percent of its elec-
19
able cities, facing substantial economic losses from flooding.6 tricity from clean energy in 2018. An essential step to
By 2060, sea levels could rise up to 34 inches in Southeast reducing the threat of climate change is to avoid making
Florida and 42 inches around Tampa.7 By 2100, we risk a rise it worse. Florida’s leaders and Congress must take swift
of 81 and 102 inches, respectively. By 2040, sea walls to pro- action to put the United States on track to 100% clean,
8

tect coastlines could cost Floridians around $76 billion.9 renewable energy by 2030. Scientists have concluded
that economic reorientation to 100 percent renewable
Without drastic changes, Florida could face an additional
energy is necessary to stave off the imminent risks of
8,100 deaths annually, with over 1,000 additional deaths in
climate catastrophe.20
Miami-Dade County by the end of the century.10
Energy Efficiency
Florida’s Fossil Fuel Problem
As the third largest energy-consuming state, and with
Regrettably, the state has locked itself into fossil fuels, a
utilities five times less efficient than the national average,
major driver of climate change.11 Fracking has led to the
Florida must improve its energy efficiency.21 Efficiency
construction of several pipelines to bring natural gas to
measures are a proven, cost-effective way to reduce cli-
Florida.12 While the United States generated 35 percent of
mate emissions by avoiding the initial demand to gener-
its electricity from natural gas, Florida doubled down at 70
ate electricity.22 The full deployment of energy efficiency
percent in 2018.13 And Florida’s electric grid is set to have the
upgrades in buildings alone could eliminate the need to
nation’s largest share of gas generation by 2021.14 A labyrinth
build additional power plant capacity — and efficiency
of pipelines will be needed to service these facilities, like the
investments are cheaper and faster to deploy than build-
proposed Southeast Market Pipelines Project that aims to
ing new power plants.23
deliver gas to Florida.15

FOODANDWATERWATCH.ORG
 Fighting Florida’s Climate Chaos: Next Steps in Saving Our State
Energy efficiency upgrades could especially benefit
economically and socially disadvantaged households if
incentivized through rate reductions or subsidies. High
energy burdens can force these households to decide
whether to pay their utility bills or spend money on other
basic necessities like food or medical care.24
Climate Resilience
Resilience is critical to managing the climate crisis. Cli-
mate resilience is the ability to adapt to, withstand and
recover from adverse impacts like hurricanes and flooding.
Adaptation measures that protect shorelines prevent dam-
age to coastal properties, save Floridians millions in dam-
ages and improve resilience.25 Flood insurance is critical to
Endnotes
1 Harris, Alex. “Federal report says what Florida already knows — climate change is af-
fecting us now.” Miami Herald. November 27, 2018.
2 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). “Florida Adaptation Planning
Guidebook.” June 2018 at 65.
3 Bhatia, Kieran T. et al. “Recent increases in tropical cyclone intensification rates.”
Nature Communications. Vol. 10. February 7, 2019 at 2; Knutson, Thomas R. et al.
“Dynamical downscaling projections of twenty-first-century Atlantic hurricane activity:
CMIP3 and CMIP5 model-based scenarios.” American Meteorological Society. Vol. 26.
September 1, 2013 at 6591; U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). “Fourth
National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United
States.” 2018 at 323 and 324.
4 USGCRP (2018) at 324; Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic
Resources, Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department, and Florida Depart-
ment of Health in Miami-Dade County. “Septic Systems Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise.”
November 2018 at 5.
5 Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources, Miami-Dade
County Water and Sewer Department, and Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade
County (2018) at 5 and 6.
6 Hallegatte, Stephane et al. “Future flood losses in major coastal cities.” Nature Climate
Change. Vol. 3. September 2013 at 802, 803 and 804.
7 Reference year of 2000 and 1992 for the Tampa Bay region and Southeast Florida,
respectively. Burke, Maya et al. Tampa Bay Climate Science Advisory Panel. “Recom-
mended Projections of Sea Level Rise for the Tampa Bay Region (Update).” April 2019
at 6 and 7; Sea Level Rise Work Group. Prepared for Southeast Florida Regional Climate
Change Compact Steering Committee. “Unified Sea Level Rise Projection, Southeast
Florida.” October 2015 at 4.
8 Ibid.
9 LeRoy, Sverre et al. Resilient Analytics. Prepared for Center for Climate Integrity. “High
Tide Tax: The Price to Protect Coastal Communities From Rising Seas.” June 2019 at 2.
10 Food & Water Watch calculated additional mortality by multiplying mortality rates
(deaths per 100,000 population) by the population (divided by 100,000) at the county
level. Estimates based on 2012 county populations. Data sourced from: Hsiang, Solomon
et al. “Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States.” Science.
Vol. 356. June 30, 2017. Available at http://www.impactlab.org/research/estimating-
economic-damage-from-climate-change-in-the-united-states/. Accessed June 2019.
11 USGCRP (2018) at 76; Hopkins, Jamie Smith and Kristen Lombardi. Center for Public
Integrity. “Sunshine State lags on solar power, doubles down on natural gas.” Florida
Today. December 8, 2017.
12 Kassab, Beth and Kevin Spear. “Gas pipeline across Central Florida brings cheap
energy and protests.” Orlando Sentinel. April 3, 2017.
ensuring that communities can recover from climate-relat-
ed flooding and becomes more affordable when commu-
nities implement strategies that reduce flooding risk.26
Conclusion and Recommendations
Florida is on the front lines of the climate crisis, but there
are real solutions to protect the state’s communities.
Transitioning off fossil fuels, increasing energy efficiency
and building resilience can help protect Florida commu-
nities from the worst climate change impacts.
You can help by calling on Governor DeSantis and your Con-
gressmember to take action to transition Florida and the rest
of the country to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030.
13 Food & Water Watch analysis of 2018 net generation for all energy sectors in Florida
and the United States. Data sourced from: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Electricity Data Browser. Available at https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/.
Accessed June 2019.
14 Hopkins and Lombardi (2017).
15 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement. “Southeast Market Pipelines Project.” FERC EIS 0279F. February 2018 at 1
and 3 to 4.
16 Howarth, Robert W. et al. “Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas
from shale formations.” Climatic Change. April 2011 at 679, 687 and 688; Jackson, Rob-
ert B. et al. “Natural gas pipeline leaks across Washington, DC.” Environmental Science
& Technology. Vol. 48, Iss. 3. January 2014 at 2051.
17 USGCRP (2018) at 330.
18 Food & Water Watch analysis of 2018 net generation for all energy sectors in Florida
and the United States. “Clean renewable” includes wind, solar, geothermal. Data
sourced from: EIA. Electricity Data Browser. Available at https://www.eia.gov/electric-
ity/data/browser/. Accessed June 2019.
19 Ibid.
20 Davenport, Coral. “Major climate report describes a strong risk of crisis as early as
2040.” New York Times. October 7, 2018.
21 EIA. “State Energy Consumption Estimates 1960 Through 2016. Table C10. Energy Con-
sumption Estimates by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2016.” DOE/EIA-0214(2016).
June 2018 at 15; Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “Energy Efficiency in the South-
east, 2018 Annual Report.” 2018 at 19.
22 Schwartz, Lisa et al. “SEE Action Guide for States: Energy Efficiency as a Least-Cost
Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution and Meet Energy Needs in
the Power Sector.” U.S. Department of Energy. State & Local Energy Efficiency Action
Network. February 2016 at 10.
23 National Academy of Sciences. National Academy of Engineering and National
Research Council. “Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States.” The
National Academies Press. 2010 at 5; Molina, Maggie, Patrick Kiker and Seth Nowak.
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “The Greatest Energy Story You
Haven’t Heard.” August 2016 at 7.
24 Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. “Strengthening Energy Efficiency Programs
for Low-Income Communities.” July 2017 at 1; Schwartz et al. (2016) at 103.
25 Hallegatte et al. (2013) at 802 and 803; USGCRP (2018) at 323 and 1361; FDEP (2018) at 76.
26 U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. National Flood Insurance Program.
“Flood Insurance Manual, Appendix F: Community Rating System.” April 2019 at F-1;
FDEP (2018) at 66 and 67.
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